Combination wall mounted dryer and heater



Junev 1969 c. w. CHANCELLOR, JR I 3,

COMBINATION WALL MOUNTED DRYER AND HEATER Filed Se t. 9, 1966 I Sheet of 4 mm I &

MBMMU n ma Charles W Chancel/or, Jz

IN VENTOR.

June 17, 1969 Filed Sept. 9,

Fig, 3

c. w. CHANCELLOR. JR 3,449,838

. COMBINATION WALL MOUNTED DRYER AND HEATER Sheet of 4 4 Charles W Chancel/or, Jr. 78 INVENTOR.

BY 2... MAM 4 June 17, 1969 Filed Sept. 9, 1966 C. W. CHANCELLOR, JR COMBINATION WALL MOUNTED DRYER AND HEATER Sheet 3 of4 Char/es W Chancel/013,.

INVENTOR.

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June 17, 1969 C;'W.'CHANCELLOR, JR 3,449,838 I COMBINATION WALL MOUNTED DRYER AND HEATER Sheet 4 014 Filed Sept. 9, 1966 Charles W Chancel/04V:

INVENTOR.

and 3M United States Patent 3,449,838 COMBINATION WALL MOUNTED DRYER AND HEATER 'Charles W. Chancellor, Jr., Midland, Tex., assignor to Chancellor Chair Company, Midland, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Sept. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 578,316 Int. Cl. F2611 9/00 US. Cl. 34--90 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vertically disposed cabinet for wall mounting having an air inlet adjacent the upper end and an air outlet at a point below the air inlet. A fan and heater is provided interiorly of the cabinet for circulating and heating air. A hose receiving opening for a hair dryer hose is provided in the cabinet together with a pivotal plate for directing air out through the hose or permitting it to pass downwardly beyond the hose opening. In one embodiment of the invention, an access door is provided together with structural means within the cabinet to support clothing articles to be dried. In another embodiment, the structure is incorporated into a mirror assembly or entered above the sink or wash basin.

The present invention generally relates to a wall mounted heater for use in heating air for discharge into a room or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a space heater adapted to be mounted on the interior surface of a wall or recessed into the wall of a room or other enclosed space for the purpose of heating air for elevating the temperature in the room and also having features which enable the heater to be effectively employed in drying clothes, drying hair and including a fan assembly for forced air circulation with the warmed air being discharged at the bottom or lower portion of a cabinet or alternatively discharged at a point adjacent the center or upper portion of the cabinet depending upon the desires of the particular users.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combined wall mounted heater and dryer especially adapted for use in a bathroom to be employed over a wash basin generally in the same area as the medicine cabinet and which includes means for circulating air, means for heating such air and means for connecting a hair dryer to the device for use in drying hair when desired.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combined wall mounted heater and dryer including a vertically elongated cabinet having an upper air inlet and fan together with a heater device orientated below the fan section and in the path of movement of air, alternatively employed upper and lower heated air outlets with their being clothes supports disposed in the cabinet by which clothing articles may be effectively dried.

Still a further important object of the present invention is to provide a combined heater and dryer in accordance with the preceding objects having a germicidal light associated with the device for destruction of bacteria.

Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide a combination wall mounted dryer and heater which is adapted for use in homes, hotels, motels and the like and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, utilitarian in view of its various uses and relatively inexpensive to maintain and operate.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details 3,449,838 Patented June 17, 1969 'ice of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a persepective view of a portion of a room illustrating the wall mounted dryer and heater installed therein;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded group perspective View of the dryer and heater with the front of the cabinet removed to illustrate the association of the structural components thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken generally along the center line of the dryer and heater illustrating the relationship thereof to the wall structure;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 44 of FIGURE 3 illustrating the structure of the dryer and heater with the front of the cabinet removed;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating the air deflector associated with the upper warm air outlet;

FIGURE 6 is a detailed sectional view of the upper portion of the dryer and heater illustrating the air deflector for the upper air outlet in position to deflect heated air out of the upper air outlet;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a hair dryer hood and flexible hose associated with the combined dryer and heater;

FIGURE 8 is a detailed sectional view illustrating the association of the hair dryer hose with the heater for deflecting heated air through the dryer hose;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the invention installed over the wash basin in a bathroom; and

FIGURE 10 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plan passing along section line 1010 of FIGURE 9 illustrating the specific structural details of this form of the invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the combined wall mounted dryer and heater of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 20 and is illustrated mounted in recessed position in a wall 22 which may be either a partition wall, exterior wall or the like with the combined dryer and heater 20 being received Within an opening 24 defined by peripheral framing members 26 which may be conventional vertical studs to form the vertical members as designated by numeral 28. The depth of the combined dryer and heater 20 is such that it may be recessed into the wall or may be mounted on the external surface of the wall and in either event, the combined dryer and heater will not occupy any substantial volume of the internal space of the room.

The combined dryer and heater 20 includes a vertical- 1y elongated cabinet generally designated by the numeral 30 which includes a rear wall 32, vertically elongated side walls 34, a top wall 36 and a bottom wall 38. The back Wall 32, side walls 34, top wall 36 and bottom wall 38 are all rigidly interconnected and may be constructed of any suitable material such as sheet metal or the like. Forming a closure for the open front of the cabinet 30 is a front panel 40 which also may be constructed of sheet metal or the like and which is secured to the cabinet 30 in any suitable manner. The peripheral dimensions of the cover or front wall 40 may be slightly greater than the cabinet 30 and engage the wall surface to provide a finished appearance to the combined dryer and heater when it is recessed into the wall. Suitable fasteners of any suitable type may be employed for detachably securing the front panel 40 in place in closing relation to the open front of the cabinet 30. The external surface of the front wall 40 may be painted or otherwise colored 3 in any suitable manner to be compatible with the Wall surface 22.

The upper portion of the front wall 40 is provided with an air inlet area 42 in the form of a louvered grill for inlet of cool air. The louvered grill 42 is disposed in overlying relation to an air inlet duct 44 which includes an inlet passageway 46 communicated with the center of a fan 48 received in a fan housing 50 and having a discharge conduit 52 communicated therewith and extending downwardly therefrom. The fan 48 is driven by an electric motor 54 supported in any suitable manner such as by supporting brackets 56 rigid with the air inlet conduit 46 or the like. Thus, upon energization of the fan motor 54 as by a suitable electrical conductors and switches, the fan will circulate air by drawing it in through the louvered grill 42 and discharging it downwardly through a discharged duct 52 which extends through a horizontal partition 58 which divides the upper portion of the cabinet structure into a fan compartment.

Disposed below the partition 58 are a plurality of heating elements 60 which may conveniently be in the form of resistance type heating elements for heating air as it is discharged from the discharge conduit 52 through the partition 58. Suitable mounting mechanisms may be provided for the heating elements 60 and the heating properties of the heating elements may be varied depending upon the requirements of each individual installation. The heating elements 60 are connected by an electrical conductor 62 to a suitable junction box 64 and a timer switch or thermostatic control switch 66. The particular details of the time and temperature controls form no particular part of the present invention in that any suitable commercially available timer switches and thermostatic control switches may be employed.

Orientated below the heater element 60 is a germicidal lamp 68 in the form of an elongated tubular lamp supported by suitable brackets 70 which may also be connected to a control circuitry in any suitable manner which may be energized automatically when the heater elements 60 are energized or independently thereof if desired.

Disposed below the germicidal lamp 68 is spaced pairs of brackets 72 mounted on the interior surface of the side walls 34 which are in the form of upwardly opening U-sh-aped clips for receiving transversely extending supporting rods 74 or the like for supporting garment hangers with articles of clothing thereon such as drip dry shirts and the like. The articles of clothing may be hung directly over the rods or garment hangers may be hung on the rods 74 with the garment supporting portion of the hanger generally paralleling the rod 74 for supporting a garment within the cabinet 30 for purposes of drying. The bottom 38 of the cabinet is provided with upstanding wall portions 76 in the form of flanges to form a drip catching tray for any water which may drip from the articles of wearing apparel when they are hung in the cabinet for purposes of drying such articles.

When the device is used to dry articles of clothing or to circulate warm air to warm a room, air is discharged through a lower air outlet in the from of a louvered grill 78 adjacent the bottom of the front panel 40 which is orientated immediately above the water collection or drip tray 76.

To enable access to the hanger bracket 72 and to place garments thereon and to remove garments therefrom, an enlarged opening 80 is formed in the front panel 40 with the opening being defined by an inwardly extending peripheral flange 82 which rigidifies the front panel and forms a frame for a vertically elongated access door 84 which is hinged to the flange 82 at one edge thereof and provided with a suitable handle and latch structure for frictionally or latchingly retaining the closure door 84 in closed position. The specific details of the hinge mounting, latch structure and the like for the door may be conventional hardware items.

Disposed above the clothes drying area of the cabinet but below the germicidal lamp 68, an upper air outlet in the form of a louvered grill 88 is provided in the front panel 40. The opening defining the louvered air outlet 88 is provided with a peripheral flange 90 with an air deflector 92 hingedly attached to the bottom portion of the peripheral flange 90 for orientation in closing relation to the louvered air outlet 88 by engagement with the rear edge of the flange 90 or in an open position for deflecting air out through the louvered opening 88 as illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6. In this position, the free edge of the air deflector panel 92 is disposed adjacent to or against the rear wall 32 for deflecting air outwardly through the upper air outlet 88. A pull chain 94 is attached to the air deflector 92 for pivoting the air deflector between its closed and opened positions with the chain 94 extending through a suitable centrally disposed opening in the louvered opening 88 for locking the air deflector 92 in closed position. The air deflector 92 is pivotally supported from the flange 90 by any suitable hinge structure 96 which maybe a conventional hardwarde item.

Disposed above the upper louvered air outlet 88 is an opening 98 for receiving telescopically the rigid end 100 of a flexible hose 102 which has the other end thereof communicated with a hair drying hood 104 which may also be of conventional construction for positioning over the head for drying the hair in the conventional nature of a hair dryer. The inner end of the rigid tube 100 is beveled as at 106 with the inclined surface thereof facing upwardly toward the heater element 60 as illustrated in FIGURE 8 for receiving heated air therefrom. For assuring flow of air through the tube 100 and hose 102 into the dryer hood 104, a partition plate 108 is hingedly attached to the inner surface of the front panel 40 by a hinge structure 110 such as a conventional piano hinge or the like. A spring 112 which may be in the form of an axial coil spring is associated with the hinge, the front panel 40 and the partition plate 108 to normally retain the plate 108 against the inner surface of the front panel 40 as illustrated in FIGURE 2 but enabling the plate 108 to swing downwardly to a generally horizontal position by insertion of and in response to insertion of the tapered end 106 of the rigid tube 100 in the opening 98. The end of the tube 100 will engage the partition plate 108 and pivot it down to a position to substantially form a partition for the cabinet 30 thus assuring that air discharged by the fan will pass over the heater elements 60 and subsequently out through the tube 100 and hose 102 into the hair drying hood 104 for drying the hair in an obvious manner.

FIGURES 9 and 10 illustrate a modified form of the invention generally designated by the numeral which is mounted in a wall 122 of a bathroom or the like in overlying relation to the wash basin 124 and will effectively be employed in the same general area as the medicine cabinet is usually employed. The structural components generally approximate the structural components disclosed in FIGURES 1-8 except that the clothes drying compartment and lower air outlet have been eliminated. The combined dryer and heater includes a recessed cabinet structure 126 having a back wall 128, a front wall 130 and peripheral walls 132. An upper air inlet in the form of a louvered inlet 134 is provided in front of a fan assembly 136 which is the same as the fan assembly illustarted in FIGURES 1-8 and includes a downwardly extending discharge conduit 138 extending through a transverse partition 140. Disposed below the partition are heating elements 142 controlled by a suitable timer and thermostatic control assembly 144. Below the heater assembly 142 is a louvered a'ir outlet 146 adjacent the bottom of the front wall 130 and just above the louvered air outlet 146 is an aperture 148 for receiving a hair dryer hose in the same manner as illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8 with a similar spring biased partition plate 150 being provided for closing off the louvered outlet 146 for discharge of air through the hair dryer hose.

A lower chest or cabinet 152 is provided below the lower peripheral wall 32 and includes sliding doors 154, a shelf 156 or the like and may serve as a medicine chest. Also, the front panel 130 may be provided with an enlarged mirror 158 in the form of a door having a handle 160 and hinges 162. The area interiorly of the door 158 may be partitioned from the heating and air circulating assembly and provided with shelves for storage of the usual articles stored above a wash basin 'such as shaving equipment, toothbrushing equipment, hair dressing equipment and the like. To complete the assembly, fluorescent light assemblies 164 are mounted alongside of the cabinet 126 by suitable mounting brackets 166 or the like and a switch control may be remotely provided for the fluorescent lights to adequately illuminate the face region of the person employing the device. The depth of the heater and dryer unit in this construction also enables it to be recessed into a wall in a convenient manner, and if desired, the depth of the medicine chest may be evenly slightly greater and project forwardly from the front wall of the dryer and heater unit if desired.

The structure illustrated in FIGURES 9 and 10 is especially useful in motels, hotels, apartments, residences and the like and is also desirable in areas where a rather compact structure is desired.

Both forms of the invention may be employed on the exterior surface of a wall or recessed into the wall. The components may conveniently be in the form of substantially conventional hardware and electrical components with the various components having the necessary capacity for the purposes intended.

The hair dryer assembly may be constructed rather inexpensively so that a user such as a patron of a motel or hotel may be supplied with a hair drying hood and hose for use after which the relatively inexpensive hair drying hood and hose could be disposed of. The introduction of heated air into a bathroom is especially desirable in'asmuch as many bathrooms especially in hotels and motels, are inadequately heated. Also, the upper air outlet for the heated air in FIGURES 1-8 may be employed for drying the hands or other parts of the body and also for drying articles of clothing or the like which may be disposed in front of the air outlet. This is especially desirable in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 9 and 10 in which the dryer is installed above the wash basin, sink, lavatory or the like. Various facilities may be provided for supporting garments to be dried in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1-8 and relatively large units may be provided for industrial use or where it is frequently desired to dry garments or other items.

The dimensional characteristics of the cabinet may vary and may be such as to fall within standard dimensionalcharacteristics employed in wall structures. For example, the device may be of a width so that the cabinet will fit between vertical studding having a conventional centerto-center spaced relationship thus making it necessary only to install the horizontal framing components. The requirements of various local building codes will, of course, be satisfied by the installation of the electrical components. However, the fact that the unit is self-contained and requires no external ventilation or the like materially enhances the ease of installation and reduces the cost of in stallation and at the time time enables optimum use of the space enclosed by the wall structure.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A combined heating device and clothes dryer comprising a vertically disposed cabinet adapted to be supported form a wall structure and including a front wall having air inlet means therein adjacent the upper end thereof and air outlet means therein adjacent the lower end thereof oriented in vertically spaced relation, means within the cabinet adjacent the air inlet means for inducing an flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, air heating means disposed in said cabinet in the air flow path adjacent said air flow inducing means for heating air as it flows between the air inlet means and the air outlet means so that air discharged from the air outlet means will be heated to a temperature higher than the air entering the air inlet means, said front wall of the cabinet including an access door located below the air inlet means and the air heating means, means within said cabinet and accessible through the door for supporting garments therein in the air flow path between the air inlet means and air outlet means, said air heating means being disposed between the air flow inducing means and the garment supporting means for heating the air prior to passing over the garments supported on the garment supporting means and subsequent to passing the air rflow inducing means, a drip tray disposed in said cabinet below the garment supporting means and the air outlet means so that wet garments placed on the garment supporting means will drop excess water into the tray, said tray being disposed adjacent the air outlet means and the bottom of the access door in the front wall to enable access to the tray through the access door.

2. A heating device comprising a cabinet adapted to be supported from a wall structure, said cabinet including an air inlet means adjacent one portion thereof and an air outlet means spaced from the air inlet means, means Within the cabinet for inducing air flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, and air heating means disposed in said cabinet in the air flow path for heating air as it flows between the air inlet means and the air outlet means, so that the air discharged from the air outlet means will be heated to a temperature higher than the air as it enters the air inlet means, said cabinet being vertically disposed with the air inlet means adjacent the upper end thereof and the air outlet means spaced below the air inlet means, said means for inducing air flow including a fan disposed in the cabinet immediately inwardly of the air inlet means and including a discharge extending downwardly, a transverse partition in the cabinet separating the fan from the remainder of the cabinet with the fan discharging the air downwardly through said parti tion, said cabinet including a front wall having the air inlet means and air outlet means therein, an air opening in said front wall above the air outlet means, a pivotal partition plate mounted in said cabinet and normally closing said opening, an air hose having an end portion insertable through the opening and engaging the partition plate for swinging the partition plate into partition forming position within the cabinet whereby air will be directed out of the hose, and a hair drying hood communicated with the outer end of the hose whereby the heated air circulated through the heater may be employed for drying hair.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said front wall includes a mirror structure mounted thereon, said mirror structure including an access door having a mirror on the outer surface thereof, said access door being disposed alongside the air inlet means and air outlet means.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 together with a vertically elongated light assembly mounted along each side of said cabinet, a compartment disposed along the bottom of the cabinet, said compartment having front sliding closure panels for enabling access thereto.

5. A heating device comprising a cabinet adapted to be supported from a wall structure, said cabinet including an air inlet means adjacent one portion thereof and an air outlet means spaced from the air inlet means, means within the cabinet for inducing air flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, and air heating means disposed in said cabinet in the air flow path for heating air as it flows between the air inlet means and the air outlet means, so that the air discharged from the air outlet means will be heated to a temperature higher than the air as it enters the air inlet means, said cabinet being vertically disposed with the air inlet means adjacent the upper end thereof and the air outlet means spaced below the air inlet means, said means for inducing air flow including a fan disposed in the cabinet immediately inwardly of the air inlet means and including a discharge extending downwardly, a transverse partition in the cabinet separating the fan from the remainder of the cabinet with the fan discharging the air downwardly through said partition, said air outlet means including a pair of vertically spaced air outlets in the front wall of said cabinet, an air deflector plate pivotally mounted in said cabinet and selectively forming a closure for the upper air outlet or a partition for the cabinet to deflect all of the air out through the upper air outlet, and means connected to said air deflector plate for moving the deflector between its two positions.

6. The structure as defined in claim 5 wherein said cabinet includes a germicidal light associated with the air flow for destroying bacteria in the air flow.

7. The structure as defined in claim 5 together with an access door in the front wall between the upper and lower air outlets, and means in said cabinet for supporting garments to be dried by air passing downwardly through the cabinet and out through the lower air outlet.

8. The structure as defined in claim 5 together with a drip tray disposed in said cabinet below the lower air outlet for collection of moisture dripping from the garments disposed therein.

9. The structure as defined in claim 5 wherein said air heating means is in the form of a heating element, and control means for said heating element and fan for controlling the temperature and duration of operation of the combined heating and drying device.

References Cited OTHER REFERENCES Advertisement All New Line of Triangle Cabinets, November 1961 (TRIANGLE) D43.6 1 pg.

CARLTON R. CROYLE, Primary Examiner.

A. D. HERRMANN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

